
TY  - JOUR
A1  - de Visser, Richard 
A1  - Ezzy, Douglas 
A1  - Bartos, Michael 
T1  - Comorbidity and Coinfection among People Living with HIV/AIDS:The Experiences of an Australian Sample
JF  - Australian Journal of Primary Health
JO  - Aust. J. Prim. Health
Y1  - 2000
VL  - 6
IS  - 1
SP  - 48
EP  - 56
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/PY00005 
N2  - Previous research on comorbidity among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) has focused on the consequences for disease progression. The research reported here examines the broader public health implications of comorbidity. A sample of 925 Australian PLWHA completed a self-administered questionnaire. Comorbid conditions were reported by 28% of respondents. The most common conditions included hepatitis C, psychological/psychiatric conditions, cardiovascular disease, and lung conditions. In addition, 27% of those tested for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) were coinfected with HCV. Comorbid PLWHA reported poorer health and were more likely to experience side-effects from antiretroviral medication. Comorbid PLWHA were also more likely to be unemployed, to live in poverty, to experience financial difficulty, and to rely on HIV/AIDS service organisations for a range of services. This study highlights the added pressures placed on individuals and HIV/AIDS service organisations by comorbidity and coinfection among PLWHA. The present study is relevant not only to the experiences of PLWHA - it may be an example of the difficulties confronted by people living with multiple major health conditions. 
ER  -

